Composer Farid Ahmed dies of Covid-19

National award-winning music director and composer Farid Ahmed died of Covid-19 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Farid Ahmed breathed his last at 9:10 am on Tuesday, Durdana Farid, daughter of the composer, confirmed Prothom Alo over phone.

The composer had received treatment of Covid-19 at two separate hospitals in the capital for two weeks. He was on life support since 11 April.

The family wishes to bury him at the Martyred Intellectual Graveyard, Durdana added.

Farid Ahmed required artificial ventilation from the last week of March to the early hours of 11 April. As his condition started deteriorating on the evening of 10 April while undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital, physicians advised to keep him at incentive care unit (ICU).

Later on the night on 10 April, Farid Ahmed was kept on ICU at a private hospital. As his condition deteriorated again requiring artificial ventilation, the noted composer was put on life support from around 4:00 am on 11 April.

Farid Ahmed had been suffering from severe fever at the end of last month and lost taste. He tested positive for Covid-19 after conducting test for three times. He was admitted to BSMMU hospital on the night of 25 March. He was shifted to another hospital after 17 days. Sixty per cent of his lung was infected.

Farid Ahmed composed a number of all-time classic songs. He was introduced to guitar by school-friend Bayezid.

He took music as profession with Firoz Shai. He would play bass guitar at band ‘Spandan’. When Firoz Shai left ‘Spandan’, Farid Ahmed continues to play guitar with him.

He brought fame by composing the song ‘Tumi Chara Ami Jeno Morubhumi’ written by Liton Adhikari and sung by Kumar Bishwajit. He had composed title songs for many popular shows such as Ityadi, Hridoye Mati O Manush and Channel i Shera Kontho. His other work includes ‘Ferari Siren’ with Runa Laila, ‘Dalchhut Projaputi’ voiced by Sabina Yasmin and Runa Laila, and ‘Lolita’ voiced by Rezwana Choudhury Bannya.

Farid Ahmed won the National Film Award in 2017 for music direction in the film "Tumi Robe Nirobe", directed by Mahbuba Islam and produced by Impress Telefilm. He also composed the score of the film.